John Ferguson

You always think - "it won't happen to me" or "wow, that's terrible, I can't imagine what it would be like" but the very real truth is that it can happen and to us it did happen!!

On Wednesday the 27th April my inspiring 34 year old husband John suffered a Haemorrhagic stroke resulting in a 3cm bleed in the left side of his brain. That's the moment our lives changed! It was something that you do every day - jump in the car and head to the shops. What wasn't normal is how he felt himself swerving all over the road with a severe headache. John returned home from the shop and went to bed not feeling great. Due to working night shift I was asleep. John didn't wake me to tell me what was wrong. I woke him when I woke 4 hours later and straight away I knew something was really wrong! Drooping face, slurred speech, not being able to use right limbs. I was in so much shock but the first thing that came to my head was a post someone shared on Facebook. This particular post was the warning signs of a stroke and I went into survival mode.

I threw him in the car and drove him straight to hospital. Within minutes the stroke code was called and within 10 minutes our fears were confirmed with a CT scan. That he had suffered a stroke and there was a bleed. I still remember the exact look on the nurse’s face. I'll never forget it.

They rushed him straight to Liverpool hospital to under the care of the amazing neurosurgeon team. Thankfully, after numerous CT's, MRI's and angiograms they agreed surgery wasn't his best option. The bleed had stopped and to operate they would have to remove so much good brain matter to get to the bleed they decided would keep a very close eye on him and ensure that the bleed started to reduce.

Over the next 8 days he went from bad, to worse to amazingly well for what he had been though. Thankfully he only had temporary weakness. He has his strength back but no feeling in his right side, seizures which he is now being medicated for and at times has speech trouble which he is receiving speech therapy and rehabilitation for.

I cannot even describe how proud I am of him. From being told he shouldn't have survived to walking and talking and being home with his family after a major stroke in just over 4 weeks is just remarkable! Brains are a powerful thing. Strength and determination and support from his friends and his family are what made him fight.

I cannot express enough how important it is to create awareness. To show it can happen to anyone, at any age. John has no history of high blood pressure. Know the signs. Share the posts. Keep your friends and family informed. You could just be saving someone's life!!!!